Wimbledon 2026: Here’s how to watch, betting odds and more you should know

LONDON (AP) — Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament, starts next Monday, June 29, on the manicured lawns of the All England Club. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s competition.

How to watch Wimbledon on TV

— In the U.S.: ESPN, The Tennis Channel

— In Britain: BBC, TNT Sports and discovery+.

— Other countries are listed here.

Who are the Wimbledon defending champions?

Jannik Sinner of Italy and Iga Swiatek of Poland will attempt to repeat as champions.

The No. 1-ranked Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in last year’s men’s final for his first Wimbledon title. Alcaraz will miss this year’s tournament because of a wrist injury. Swiatek routed Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win the women’s title — her first at Wimbledon — in under an hour on Centre Court.

When will Serena Williams play?

Serena Williams will be playing singles and doubles as part of her return to tennis after nearly four years out of the sport. First-round matches in women’s singles take place on Day 1 and Day 2. First-round matches in women’s doubles will be Thursday, July 2, and Friday, July 3. Serena and her older sister Venus will compete in doubles. All eyes will be on Friday’s draw to set the schedule and opponents.

When is the draw?

The draw for the men’s and women’s singles and doubles events will be held this Friday. That’s when we’ll learn who is facing who in the first round, as well as potential matchups throughout the tournament.

Sinner is the top seed for the men. Aryna Sabalenka is the women’s top seed. They are ranked No. 1 and the tournament seedings follow the WTA and ATP rankings.

What is the singles schedule at Wimbledon?

— First Round: Monday (June 29) and Tuesday (June 30)

— Second Round: Wednesday (July 1) and Thursday (July 2)

— Third Round: Friday (July 3) and Saturday (July 4)

— Fourth Round: Sunday (July 5) and Monday (July 6)

— Quarterfinals: Tuesday (July 7) and Wednesday (July 8)

— Women’s Semifinals: Thursday (July 9)

— Men’s Semifinals: Friday (July 10)

— Women’s Final: Saturday (July 11)

— Men’s Final: Sunday (July 12)

Who are the favorites to win Wimbledon?

Sinner, despite an early exit at the French Open, remains the clear betting favorite with several sportsbooks listing him around -200 to win. Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic (+400) is next as he bids for what would be his 25th Grand Slam title. Alexander Zverev (+800) is trying to win back-to-back majors, though he’s never been past the fourth round at the All England Club and lost his opening match a year ago.

The women’s singles competition is more open, with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (+300) a slight favorite ahead of 2022 champion Elena Rybakina (+400). Several sportsbooks put French Open champion Mirra Andreeva at +700 and defending champion Iga Swiatek at +800.

Wimbledon singles champions get a 20% raise

The men’s and women’s singles champions will earn 3.6 million pounds ($4.8 million) each. The total prize money including player per diems is 64.2 million pounds ($85 million). Both represent 20% increases over 2025.

The significant increases come amid players’ calls for greater shares of revenue from Grand Slam tournaments. Top players had complained about prize money at the French Open.

What’s new this year at Wimbledon?

Wimbledon will use video review technology for the first time. The technology will be available on Centre Court, No. 1 Court — the club’s second-biggest stadium — plus four other show courts. Players will be allowed to review specific calls made by the chair umpire — such as double bounces. Video review made its Grand Slam tennis debut at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Facts about the grass-court tournament

Wimbledon’s attendance last year was a record-high 548,770, though that’s the lowest among the four majors. The other three feature main-draw action over 15 days; Wimbledon remains at 14 days. The main draw of this year’s Australian Open attracted more than 1.1 million fans. Last year’s U.S. Open surpassed 900,000 for the main draw and the recent French Open had 589,500.

The other three boast even larger attendance numbers when their qualifying events are added. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament that holds its qualifying rounds at a completely separate location — which would be remedied in the club’s expansion plans. The All England Club hopes to add a new 8,000-seat stadium and dozens of other courts in an expansion that would boost attendance and revenue.

Key stories before play begins at Wimbledon

Serena Williams will play singles at Wimbledon in her tennis comeback at age 44

Serena and Venus Williams to play doubles together at Wimbledon

Rising star Victoria Mboko will miss Wimbledon because of a knee injury

Musetti withdraws from Wimbledon and opens up spot for fellow Italian Berrettini

Vekic wins Queen’s Club final in straight sets to deny dream title for Raducanu

Shelton beats Fritz 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in Stuttgart for first title on grass

French tennis player Moutet fined $40,000 for expletives in interview at Queen’s Club

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis